


Haircuts and "I love you's"

by hwy_unicorn



Category: Bates Motel (2013)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Mentions of past abuse, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27638569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hwy_unicorn/pseuds/hwy_unicorn
Summary: “What’s wrong?” he asked as gently as possible, while she reached up to smooth her fingers through his hair, trying to distract him.“Nothing’s wrong, why would anything be wrong?” she asked, giving him the sweetest smile she could muster.He could always see right through her. It was one of the things she loved, but simultaneously hated about him. She couldn't ever seem to lie to him, not then and certainly not now. He knew her better than before.“Norma,” he chastised, his voice kind. “What’s going on?”She sighed deeply, sliding her hands along his arms in an almost nervous manner. He ducked his head to meet her eyes and she gave an anxious smile. No, Alex wasn’t Sam, and Alex wouldn’t get upset with her for something so little. She was safe, she knew that.
Relationships: Norma Bates/Alex Romero
Comments: 12
Kudos: 16





	Haircuts and "I love you's"

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this fic takes place about six months after they got married, and obviously nothing that happened at the end of s4 happens here. Norman is still in Pineview and Norma and Alex are just navigating married life together. Also, I know Norma’s hair was longer in season 1, but just pretend it isn’t, idk it’ll make more sense once you read it LOL
> 
> I also apologize for this  
> and the title  
> I did my best

Sam Bates was a cruel and complicated man who expected nothing less than perfection from his wife, who had been infamous for being imperfect in nearly every way. Nonetheless, she tried. He didn’t know about her past, so pretending to be perfect should’ve been easy for her. Dinner ready when he got home, laundry clean and folded, dishes washed, house in order, yet nothing the imperfectly perfect woman did would please him. Norma had been held under Sam Bates’ thumb for years, controlled by him like a puppet on strings, and punished when her performance wasn’t up to his standards. Norma would be lying if she said a part of her wasn’t relieved when he had died. He had controlled everything about her, from her daily schedule, to what she ate, right down to the way she styled her hair. He liked it long, found it easier to grab and could control her all with just a grip of her hair.

So it was no surprise that when he died, she cut it off the very next day. Gone were the messy brown locks of hair that flowed to her shoulders, instead cut just below her chin. It wasn’t enough. So she bought a harsh blonde box dye, and dyed her hair one night. It came out yellow, so she bought another box and did it again until she was pleased. She wanted to feel new again, and while it satisfied her for a while, the raw, awful feeling came back to her days later. Sure, Sam was dead, and couldn’t technically control her anymore, but she still felt watched, as if one day he’d show up out of the blue and scream at her about what she had done to her hair.

Six months passed and Norma left. She sold her house, packed up her things, and her and her son were driving from Arizona all the way to White Pine Bay, Oregon. She was ready- no- _determined_ to start over and nothing was going to stop her this time. Except Keith Summers came along, and her life was thrown into a twister all over again. But it passed, as everything does, and she was ready for some sort of normalcy in the otherwise not so normal town.

However, it seemed like happiness was straying further and further away from her by the second, and she was reaching out desperately to grab on to anything she could to salvage what little was left for her here. It seemed as though she was stuck, unmoving in a place she so badly wanted to move from; a thick fog surrounded her that she couldn’t seem to see through, no matter how hard she tried. Things were spinning out of control- Norman’s blackouts, Pineview’s ridiculous costs, and Bob Paris’ blackmail. The fog seeped into her every day life, and it didn’t seem like it would ever leave, until she saw him.

Not for the first time, because she had seen him, Alex, before, he arrested her for god sakes. But she hadn’t seen him in any other way before, just as a cold-hearted sheriff, until he began to stay at her motel. It was awkward at first, uncomfortable small talk as he poured coffee before leaving for work in the morning, because how do you talk to someone who arrested you? Norma didn’t know when, but there had been a shift. Small talk wasn’t so awkward anymore and Norma found herself feeling at ease, even _safe_ , around the sheriff.

He had given her a check when he left, refused to take no for an answer, and they hugged, somewhat awkwardly. Their lips nearly met in what was supposed to be nothing more than a kiss on the cheek and they were pulling away quickly, red-faced and embarrassed. She assumed that’d be the end of it, she thought she’d maybe see him in passing every so often but not in close proximity, not like this, ever again.

But then Annika Johnson died, and Alex was back at her house in no time at all. Then he got shot, and got drunk, and had dinner at her house, and suddenly he was everywhere. Every time that Norma began assuming that she’d stop seeing him so regularly, another event would clash the pair of them back together. They were being drawn closer and closer by some twisted string of fate, and while Norma had denied to herself time and time again that she felt nothing for Alex Romero, she should’ve known that it would end like this. That they would end up together, just as the universe, or god, or whatever out there intended.

And that’s how they wound up here, married and somehow happy. Norma felt safer than she had ever felt in the presence of a man before, trusted him more than she had trusted anyone else. He was patient, which proved useful when it came to the emotionally unpredictable woman. He was nothing like Sam Bates. Nothing at all.

So why did Norma feel so anxious about cutting her hair?

She stared at the scissors in her hand for a moment, before looking back into the mirror at her shoulder length hair that Alex had just complimented yesterday. Norma had cut her hair in the time that she’s known Alex, so why was it now causing her such unease?

_He’s your husband and he likes it that way. He might be mad if you change it._

But Alex wasn’t Sam, and something like that wouldn’t upset him, would it? While Norma thought she knew everything about Alex, they had only been married for six months now, so maybe he would be. Maybe she didn’t know him at all.

Frustrated, Norma threw the scissors and stormed out, making her way downstairs to begin dinner. He’d be home any minute.

“Norma?” _Speak of the devil._

“Kitchen!”

“Hey,” he came up from behind her, brushing her hair from her shoulder and placing a kiss there. “How are you?”

“Good,” she replied, smiling up at him. “I’m making turkey pot pie!” It was not only Norman's favorite, but Alex's too.

“Great, here, let me cut these,” he took the bag of carrots from her, moving off to the side.

Another way that Alex wasn’t Sam. He would’ve never helped with dinner, not even doing something as simple as chopping the carrots.

“How was your day?” she asked, somewhat nervously and he noticed the edge in her voice.

“It was good. Busy though, sorry I didn’t call as much,” he wondered if that’s what had her so tense.

“Oh that’s ok. I was busy too. We got guests today!” Maybe not that then.

“Really? Honey that’s great.”

She hummed in response, sliding past him to preheat the oven. Alex couldn’t help but notice the tenseness in her movement, as if avoiding any contact with him at all. It reminded him much of the morning after their first time together, her fluttering in all directions of the kitchen the same way she was then, trying to purposely eschew his gaze and touch. He frowned, setting the knife down, and moving in behind her, boxing her between his arms and the counter, just like last time.

“Hi,” she turned and smiled innocently up at him, still not meeting his gaze.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as gently as possible, while she reached up to smooth her fingers through his hair, trying to distract him.

“Nothing’s wrong, why would anything be wrong?” she asked, giving him the sweetest smile she could muster. 

He could always see right through her. It was one of the things she loved, but simultaneously hated about him. She couldn't ever seem to lie to him, not then and certainly not now. He knew her better than before.

“Norma,” he chastised, his voice kind. “What’s going on?”

She sighed deeply, sliding her hands along his arms in an almost nervous manner. He ducked his head to meet her eyes and she gave an anxious smile. No, Alex wasn’t Sam, and Alex wouldn’t get upset with her for something so little. She was safe, she knew that.

“I want to cut my hair,” her voice was quiet and timid, and she couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Your hair? Okay…” he frowned. “Is that what’s getting you so worked up?”

“No. Well yes, yeah. I just erm- I didn’t want you to be upset.”

He laughed, shaking his head, before realizing she was completely serious.

“Why would I be upset Norma?”

“I-I don’t know. Forget it.”

She slid past him, grabbing the knife and picking up where he left off; cutting the carrots into small pieces. He frowned as he looked over at her, confused as to why she would ever think cutting her hair would be something that’d make him upset.

“Did I make you feel as though I’d be mad at you?” he asked, careful to not push her too much, knowing how easily she could break.

“No,” she answered. “You just mentioned that you liked it the other day. So I didn’t want you to be mad if I changed it.”

Alex gently grabbed her by the arm, pulling her close. “Hey. I’m not gonna be mad. Okay? I like your hair however you like it. Do you want me to cut it for you?”

She snorted, looking up at his face, expecting to see him smiling at his little joke, but his face was serious. “Really?”

“Yeah, I- I can cut hair.”

She squinted suspiciously. “You can?”

“I used to cut my mom’s hair all the time. She didn’t like going to salons and could never make it even herself so I just… I just did it for her.”

 _Oh._ Her heart swelled, and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought. He must’ve been young when he had done it last, Theresa Reyes had died a long time ago after all. Norma swore with every new thing she learned about her husband, she began to love him more and more, if that was even possible.

“What?” he laughed at her expression, and she shrugged.

“It’s just sweet, that’s all.”

Alex blushed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah whatever. Do you want me to cut it or not?”

“Okay yeah,” she smiled. “After dinner though, because I’m starving.”

Barely even an hour later, they were in their bathroom upstairs, Norma sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her hair, while Alex searched for the scissors that she had tossed haphazardly somewhere. He had found them under the bathtub, and he gave her a playful glare. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Keep throwing scissors around and you’re going to end up cutting one of your toes off,” he warned and Norma scoffed. “Alright, ready?”

She nodded, holding her breath as Alex began to snip at her hair, suddenly regretting her decision to let him do this. He cut his mom’s hair a long time ago, he probably didn’t remember how to do it anymore. Alex met her worried gaze in the mirror and rolled his eyes.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“I don’t want you to mess up.”

He snorted, cutting another piece of blonde hair off and brushing it onto the floor. “I am not going to mess up. Relax, and stop wiggling so much. You’re making this difficult.”

“Pfft,” she rolled her eyes dramatically, slumping down in the chair. “Alex, I love you, but if you screw this up, it’s grounds for divorce.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Alex continued to cut and style her hair in a way that he was certain she’d like, while she remained as still as could be, despite her nerves. She prayed she wouldn’t have to shave her head by the end of it, but by the looks of it, Alex was doing a pretty good job. Maybe he did know a thing or two about cutting hair. 

“Norma,” Alex said gently, and she hummed. “Why did you think I’d be upset about your hair?”

He couldn’t seem to get it off his mind; the way that she was practically asking for permission, her voice timid, and movements flighty. It made him feel a weird heaviness in the pit of his stomach, and he didn’t know why. 

“Sam liked it long,” she finally said after a moment of silence. “He got angry when I cut it.”

Alex knew from Norma’s stories that Sam Bates’ anger could be dangerous, and he sometimes wondered how she managed to survive. Never though, did he think that he would become angry over something as simple as a haircut. It made Alex realize that he really knew nothing about her past at all, that Norma could tell him things here and there but he would never fully understand the horrors that she faced. He met her sad expression in the mirror, and paused for a moment, resting his hand on her shoulder.

“You don’t have to worry about that now.”

“I know,” she took his hand in her own, bringing it to her lips to press a soft kiss, before releasing it. “I’m safe with you.”

After only a few minutes, Alex was nearly finished, evening up the ends and brushing the loose blonde strands from her shoulders down to the floor. Her hair now fell just under her chin, the ends curling upwards just slightly in a Marilyn Monroe type fashion, the way it had been only a few months ago. Alex placed the scissors down, holding his breath as Norma examined herself in the mirror, her fingers running through her hair.

“Well?”

She was practically beaming as she turned in his arms. “You did good,” she reached up, placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I’m surprised.”

He huffed. “Shut up.”

Norma giggled, winding an arm around his neck and pulling him closer, kissing him fully now. She melted into him, her eyes fluttering shut as she sighed, seemingly relieved. Sure, it was just hair, and it held no real power against her, but the shortness of it felt freeing in some strange way. As if the length had been holding her down before, like weights tied to the end of the strands. The shorter it was, the more it reminded her of the fact that no one would hurt her like Sam had ever again.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured against her mouth. “I love you.”

Norma smiled, moving to hug him, hiding her face in his shoulder. She could feel her held back tears press painfully against her eyes, and she let out a shaky sigh. If someone had told her six months ago that Norma would be married, let alone _happily_ married to Alex Romero, she would’ve called them crazy. But here they were now and Norma swore she had never felt so at peace before, because Alex was everything she’s ever needed. He’d been a stability in her life that she hadn’t ever had before. And while it was only a haircut, nothing that she should’ve been getting so emotional about, she couldn’t seem to help it. No other man before him would’ve ever done half the things he’s done for her. 

Alex felt the wetness of her tears against his neck, and he began pulling away, concerned that Norma hadn’t actually liked her hair, but she clung on even tighter. She didn’t want him to see crying like this over a haircut; she knew it was silly, but her emotions had gotten the best of her.

“Norma, what’s wrong? Do you not like it?”

She laughed through her tears, shaking her head quickly. “No, no, I love it. I promise.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

She sniffled, pulling back to wipe her nose on her sleeve. “I- I just love you,” she murmured, her voice breaking and Alex chuckled.

“I love you.”

“Thank you,” she whispered against him. “This means a lot to me.”

Alex shifted, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss against the top of her head. There was a part of him that was pleased he could make Norma happy with the simplest of things; a night out to dinner, flowers on a random day, and even haircuts. The other part of him however, knew that the reason for her excitement over the little things he did were because no one else before him had done it for her.

He didn’t want to think about that anymore though. In fact, he never wanted to think about it again. Things were different now, all of those bad things in her past were over, and none of it would ever happen again. And as Alex looked at Norma, her eyes bright and tearful, her smile glowing, he knew he’d spend every single day for the rest of his life making up for what she never had. He’d spend it all loving her the way she’s always deserved.


End file.
